SLEEPING MURDER - CHAPTERS 7-9

SLEEPING MURDERS- CHAPTERS 7-9

Miss Marple and Gwenda "run in" to each other. Gwenda shares that they have put an ad in the newspaper asking for knowledge of Helen Halliday. Her brother, Dr. Kennedy, responds to the ad, and they meet. We begin to add meat to the bones of our mystery. After a year of marriage, Helen ran away with a lover and was never heard from again. Helen's father ended up in a Sanatorium. We later learn that Kevin Halliday believed he murdered Helen. Dr. Kennedy never believed he did. There was never any evidence of the murder. We run into a contradiction about the location of the supposed murder. Gwenda remembers looking through the bannister into the hall, but her father says it happened in the bedroom. All we know is there was a missing suitcase and clothes. Dr. Kennedy later received two letters from Helen. (Are they really from her?) Gwenda was sent to New Zealand to live with family. We have the introduction of an unknown factor - "X." Someone who hasn't shown up yet, but is very much involved. Is it possible that Halliday didn't finish the job and Helen still went away with her lover? Giles and Gwenda know they must visit the Sanatorium.

Have you ever regretted being so insistent at getting to the bottom of something only to uncover things you wish you hadn't? I have. Betrayal, wrong motives, etc can be earth shattering. Miss Marple knew, didn't she? She knew pain was going to come from stirring up this "Sleeping Murder" and it has.